The Artful and Thoughtful Anja of Clever Nettle

Is fashion your muse? Then, why not recreate the frocks you fall for on paper? Artist, vintage seller, and stylish gal Anja Verdugo of Clever Nettle does just that, and ModCloth was lucky enough to have her paint lovely watercolors of some of our most popular dresses.

Anja was inspired by Summer to paint the Beachcomber Dress

In seeking inspiration for the delightful ModCloth paintings, Anja looked for interesting and appealing designs, colors, and prints. She chose pieces that represent each season, “going from the silky, floaty florals for Spring, to bolder bright prints for Summer, then moving into deeper colors for Fall and then ending with good ol’ Winter black.”

Not only does she love the “instant outfit” that is a dress, but finds them to be “pretty epic,” as well. “I don’t wear a lot of fancy or complicated things,” she says, “so painting frilly and ornate frocks is a cool way for me to explore that without having to look like a cupcake.”

“There’s definitely a connection between the aesthetics that I find appealing and how I dress myself,” she says when asked how art finds a way into her daily outfits. “A combination of colors might stand out to me, or I might consider a texture or print that I hadn’t really noticed before.”

Other than painting clothes, Anja produces eclectic and imaginative prints, including her “Billuminati” series, which she calls her “weird little baby.”

Currently, Anja is sporting a lot of stripes, red lipstick, and chambray as part of her “weird French” look and is endlessly entertained by her pet chickens. “Best friends, always wandering around the yard together,” she says of Scramble and Bunny.

With a beautiful blog, a talent for art, and a taste for whimsy (not to mention a successful Etsy shop) Anja has a lot of cool stuff going on for her. Be sure to bookmark her blog and check out her digital scrapbook!